Benjamin Baker Mr. Baker serves as First Vice Chair and is a member of the Executive Committee. He and his wife are owners of Baker Books located in Dartmouth and Fall River, MA. For many years, Mr. Baker was a city planner for New Bedford as well as Executive Director of SRTA public transportation system in Southeastern Massachusetts. Mr. Baker sits on several local boards including the Ocean Explorium and he is the chair of New Bedford's Airport Commission. A resident of Dartmouth, MA, Mr. Baker is well known for his significant community involvement and philanthropic endeavors throughout the area.
Raymond Veary, Esquire Mr. Veary serves as Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Executive Committee. A long time resident of New Bedford, he is a distinguished attorney who has worked in both the public and private arenas. For much of his career he has been affiliated with the Bristol County District Attorney's office. Currently he is Assistant District Attorney at the Superior Court. In addition to his professional pursuits, Mr. Veary is noted for his support and participation in local theatres as an actor and writer.
David Biggs Mr. Biggs, who owns Biggs Partners & You Communications, delivers marketing communications expertise and workforce development program design and operation in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Previously, he was the Southcoast Market Advisor for the SouthCoast Media Group involved in explanding market share including sales coordination for the New England Business Bulletin. He also wrote business and feature articles for the Standard Times. His first career was in government at all levels working for elected officials in legislative, administrative and media roles. Deeply committed to educational issues, Mr. Biggs brings to the Board a wealth of public relations, marketing and fund development expertise. Mr. Biggs, who holds a BA in political science with concentrations in psychology and economics from Dickinson College, resides with his family in Dartmouth, MA.
Thomas Davis Mr. Davis brings vast corporate management, strategic planning and finance experience to the board as well a broad international and global perspective and life-long passion for education. He earned his BA degree in business and history from the University of Michigan and received his MBA in finance from Northwestern University. In addition, he completed post-graduate studes at John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Brookings Institute. Mr. Davis began his professional career at Exxon Corporation where he remained for 24 years, serving in a wide range of capacities, including marketing, public affairs, purchasing and sales, transportation, and strategic and corporate planning. Following his tenure at Exxon, he went on to assume the role of president of a financial & consulting services company for the next 12 years. Since May 1998, Mr. Davis has served as Executive Director of the Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation. In just two years under his leadership, the New Bedford Business Park, which had not had a sale for 10 years, generated 32 acquisitions of land and/or buildings in the Park which resulted in the creation of 3,000 new jobs throughout the region. He has been an international and national speaker at major colleges and universities and corporate conferences worldwide. Deeply engaged in the local community, Mr. Davis has participated in numerous boards and organizations, including serving as the Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Horace Mann New Bedford Global Learning Charter School. Mr. Davis and his wife reside in South Dartmouth, MA.
Len Coriaty Mr. Coriaty serves as Treasurer/Secretary and is a member of the Governance Committee. He is currently Executive Director / CEO of the Greater New Bedford Workforce Investment Board, Inc. Mr. Coriaty has been serving the Greater New Bedford Area for many years and has deep connections to the area's business community. Mr. Coriaty has helped guide GLCPS in the development of our internship program for our juniors and seniors. Having enrolled his children in charter schools, he has a strong understanding of the need for innovation and excellence in education. He also spent several years on the Board of the Atlantis Charter School in Fall River. Mr. Coriaty lives in Dartmouth, MA.
Dr. Jean F. MacCormack Dr. MacCormack, Chairperson, is Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. A founding member of the Charter School, Dr. MacCormack has provided strong leadership to the school over many years. As Chancellor, she has been an advocate for developing sustainable community / university partnerships and encouraged a synergistic partnership between the University and the Charter School. Over the past several years, the University has helped shape the professional development program for our school staff. Dr. MacCormack lives in Dartmouth, MA.
Ismael Ramirez-Soto Mr. Ramirez-Soto is Dean of the new School of Education, Public Policy and Civic Engagement at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Prior to this post, he was Associate Professor and worked for eight years as Dean of the College of Public and Community Service at University of Massachusetts, Boston. His extensive K-20 education experience also includes serving the Puerto Rico Council of Higher Education as the Puerto Rico State Higher Education Executive Officer (SHEEO) for nine years. Having completed his BS in Urban Elementary Education from University of Hartford, Mr. Ramirez-Soto went on to obtain his JD in Civil Law from University of Puerto Rico and his EdD in Law and Education from the University of Massachusetts. Mr. Ramirez-Soto lives with his family in Scituate, MA.
Jacquelyn M. Ramos Ms. Jacquelyn Ramos is an accomplished educator who is the founder, owner and chief administrator for Sunshine's Place serving children 9 months to 14-years old and their families in a multicultural early-learning center. Ms. Ramos has demonstrated a commitment to education for the past thirty years and has held positions at Wheelock College, US Department of Education, Institute for Equity in Schools, and Leslie University as the Director of the Center for Children, Families and Public Policy. Ms. Ramos lives in Acushnet, MA.
Administrative Leadership Team
Director of Administration: Dr. Stephen Furtado Dr. Furtado brings 37 years as an educator and superintendent to his role as Executive Director. In 2008, he retired as Superintendent of the Freetown-Lakeville School District. In addition to his part-time role at GLCPS, Dr. Furtado directs and serves on the faculty of the Doctoral Program in Education Leadership at Simmons College, which he designed. His past work also includes creating the principal's licensure program at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and serving as visiting professor at numerous local universities. In 2008 he co-authored the dropout bill sponsored by Representative Stephen Canessa and John Quinn. Dr. Furtado received his BA in social studies and seconday education as well as his MA in teaching from Bridgewater State College. He completed his doctoral work at LaSalle University; his disseratation focused on the Massachusetts Education Reform Law of 1993. Dr. Furtado is a frequent guest lecturer and national presenter at conferences including the Association of Teacher Educators on such topics as: "Attracting and Retaining Good Teachers", "Effective Mentoring" and "Leadership in the 21st Century". Born and raised in New Bedford, he currently resides in Fairhaven.
Principal: Ljuba Marsh Ms. Ljuba Marsh has been an educator for the past thirty years, working in New York and New England in teaching, research, program and curriculum development, leadership, and educational reform. In 1996, The State of Massachusetts granted Ms. Marsh one of the first charter schools in Massachusetts. After founding Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School (PVPA), Ms. Marsh continued to serve as the director of this college preparatory and performing arts regional middle and high school for the next twelve years. PVPA is a leader in educational innovation and arts integration, and has been highly successful in both academic and arts achievement. The school currently enrolls 400 students from over 60 towns and cities throughout Pioneer Valley. The author of Creative Vision, a workbook for nurturing creativity in elementary school children, Ms. Marsh has also written a series of articles and curriculum supporting educational reform. Ms. Marsh is currently working on a social curriculum titled, "Be the Prize", a social justice program based on the work of Paulo Freire, and a K-12 filmmaking study. A graduate of Hunter College in fine arts and education, Ms. Marsh completed her M.Ed. in Education Administration at Cambridge College. She received her ATR from Boston University and graduate certification from Brandeis University.
Assistant Principal: Lena Pires Born and raised in New Bedford, Lena Pires is the first and only one of six siblings to complete a college degree. First generation Portuguese, both of her parents spoke only Portuguese and could not read or write. Mrs. Pires received her BA in Electrical Engineering from UMass Dartmouth in 1997. She left the field of engineering to become a teacher eight years ago, when she started at GLCPS as a mathematics/science teacher. Mrs. Pires became Assistant Principal in fall of 2007 following completion of her Principals Licensure, also through UMass Dartmouth. Immediately prior to GLCPS, she was an engineer at Helix Technology and from 1997 - 2000 worked in this capacity at Raytheon. Married and the devoted mother of two young sons, Mrs. Pires lives in New Bedford. She also serves on the Board of the YWCA and is a member of the Executive Committee.
Director of Special Education: Al Affonso Mr. Affonso brings to GLCPS 35 years of experience in K-12 special education throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Now in his third year at Charter, he was recently promoted to Director of Special Education. A lifetime member of the National Education Association, Mr. Affonso has been involved in numerous professional activities throughout his career. Some of his work includes consulting for the Rhode Island Department of Education as a member of the Comprehensive System of Professional Development and the Basic Education Program, teaching in the Massachusetts Migrant Education Program, and serving as President of the Newport County Regional Special Education Teachers Association for ten years. A graduate of Boston College with a BA in special education and a minor in elementary education, he went on to receive his M.Ed. in Secondary Administration from Providence College.
Director of Student, Family and Community Life: Adonis Ferreira Adonis D. Ferreira assumed the newly created position of Director of Student, Family and Community Life in March 2008. Prior to this position, he served as a fellow for the Harvard University Administrative Fellowship Program. His assignment was in the Office of Student Affairs of the Graduate School of Education. From January 2000 to September 2006, Mr. Ferreira worked for the City of New Bedford as the Cultural Affairs Coordinator. Prior to that position, Mr. Ferreira served as the Assistant and then Associate Dean for Multicultural Student Affairs at the University of Maine. Mr. Ferreira came to the United States, from the Cape Verde Islands, in 1977 where he was raised and continues to reside in New Bedford. A graduate of Leadership Southcoast Class of 2007, Mr. Ferreira is a member of the NorthStar Learning Centers Advisory Board, Common Threads Capeverdean Community Conferences Executive Committee, the New Bedford Historical Society, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. He earned his B.A. and Ed.M. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Director of Business: Melissa Rodrigues Ms. Rodrigues has more than 15 years of administrative experience and has supervised the business office at GLCPS since the school was first launched in 2002. A lifelong learner, Ms. Rodrigues concentrated her undergraduate studies in Liberal Arts; earned advanced certification in Travel & Tourism; and began her career path in technical writing for an adult education institute. In the private sector, she cultivated skills in database development, office management, and business administration before returning to the education field and earning her MCPPO certification. A Vermont native, she has lived in the Southcoast since 1995 and currently resides in Westport.
Technology Director: Derek Stevens Born in Boston and raised in New Bedford, Mr. Stevens graduated from New Bedford High School in 1993 and went on to pursue his B.S. in chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He continued his graduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles, receiving his C. Phil and M.S. in chemistry in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Upon returning to Massachusetts, Mr. Stevens joined the GLCPS team and is now in his eighth year at the school in his capacity of Director of Technology. Married and the father of three, Mr. Stevens resides in New Bedford.
Director of Institutional Advancement: Stephanie Wick Stephanie Wick has over 20 years of experience as a K-16 educator, with special expertise in systemic education reform and community change, as well as issues of higher education access and retention. Ms. Wick brings to GLCPS extensive management, fund raising and marketing experience. Most recently, she held the position of Director of Development for the College of Education at San Jose State University. Prior to this position, she served for ten years as Executive Director of Foundation for a College Education, a community-based college access organization in East Palo Alto, California. Additional management experience includes tenures at two educational research and development firms - Research Policy Practice (RPP) in California and Education Development Center (EDC) in Newton, MA. She started her career in college admission at Wellesley College. Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Ms. Wick recently returned to her home state and lives in New Bedford. She received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and her M.A. from Stanford University.
